


Stargazing

by Ginger375



Category: X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men Evolution
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Deep Conversations, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Lakes are better than pools, Pre-Relationship, Stargazing, early friendship, eventually, finding common ground
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28490256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginger375/pseuds/Ginger375
Summary: Post-series. Rogue and Remy share a bit about their pasts on a hot summer night by the lake.
Relationships: Remy LeBeau/Rogue
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Stargazing

For most of the mansion’s residents, the weather that week had bordered on oppressive.

The base temperature pushed the mid-90s, and the humidity index pushed the heat even further, causing most of the mutants to seek cooler environs, either in the air-conditioned comfort of the indoors or the waters of the pool.

For two of their kind, however, it was damn near perfect.

The damp heat wasn’t exactly like being at home, but it was likely as close as they’d ever get in New York State. Rogue had spent most of the week outside, under the shade of a tree to keep her pale skin from burning. Remy had done the same, only as far from the shade as possible, soaking up all the vitamin D he could handle.

It was during a sweltering afternoon, that Remy mentioned weather like this being perfect for stargazing. Rogue had piped up that she knew a great spot on the mansion grounds for that very activity.

Which led them to where they now reclined, on the small dock outcropping into the lake, close enough to make discussion easy, but far enough to ensure no accidental contact of bare legs as they dangled off the edge and into the water.

“How is it that everyone else would rather spend their day in a chemical-filled pool when there’s a perfectly good lake within walkin’ distance?” Remy had been previously unaware of the small lake on the far end of the Xavier property and was delighted upon walking up to the shore.

“Probably don’t wanna walk this far when it’s this hot out. Plus a few of them are grossed out by weeds and fish,” Rogue replied and not the least bit bothered by her housemate’s desire for the swimming pool. They could keep it. “Some people's children, what can you do?”

Remy laughed. “True enough.”

Rogue let out a deep sigh of contentment. The water of the lake was just cool enough to not cause a chill, and swirled around her as she kicked her feet idly.

The sky above them was crystal clear, with a new moon and little light pollution to dim the view of the stars. 

“How’s your head feelin’?” Her companion beside her asked.

“Could ask you the same thing,” she said, turning her head to look at Remy.

“I didn’t have a three-hour session with the Prof today,” he pointed out.

He was right, that was a long time for a telepath to be delving into one’s mind, and the headache she’d nursed afterwards had been intense. Thankfully, she’d been able to take some quality painkillers and take a long nap while the others complained bitterly about the heat.

“It’s better now,” she responded, letting her eyes unfocus as she looked at the night sky. It was soothing to her tired head.

“What’re these sessions for, if you don’ mind me asking?” He’d noticed her leaving Xavier’s study looking exhausted and near tears, which he didn’t beIieve were entirely due to the headache.

“We’re trying to see if we can recover my early memories,” she said. “Due to how my powers manifested, and what happened immediately afterwards, a lot of my childhood is just...gone.”

“What happened afterwards?”

“I absorbed a boy at a dance, just some jock from school. I couldn’t tell his mind from mine, wasn’t even sure who I was. I probably woulda gotten it straight and figured myself out better if I hadn’t zapped Kurt and Storm so soon after.” She scoffed. “Plus, you know, Mystique messing with my already messed up head.”

That part he did know, as it was included in Magneto’s files on the X-men.

“How far back can you remember clearly then?”

Rogue twisted her mouth and thought about it. “The few years leading up to my powers manifesting? Everything before that is mostly a blur.”

“No memories of Mystique raising you at all?”

“No, I know that like the five years before I came up north Destiny was my foster mom, from when I absorbed Mystique, but my early time with her is fuzzy now.”

“So you don’t remember your real parents?” Remy asked carefully, unsure if he was pushing for too much info out of her all at once.

“Not really. I have this… sorta impression...of a blonde woman, and a man with a beard, but that’s about it. I think they’re my parents, but I’m not entirely sure.” She twisted her fingers in her gloves. “Do you remember yours?”

Remy was quiet for a long moment before he took a deep breath. He opened this can of worms, there was no going back now.

“No, I have no idea who they were. I’m guessin’ they didn’t want me, or maybe they did until I opened my eyes and they ran for the hills.”

“Your eyes have always been that colour?” Rogue was surprised, even though she couldn’t picture him with any other eye colour. Nothing else fit.

“Yeah, far back as I can remember.”

“What’s your earliest memory?” She asked, feeling she was now the one treading into uncertain territory.

He went quiet again. She dared a glance at his face, seeing it screwed up in concentration.

“I think…” he started. “You sure you wanna hear this?”

Rogue looked at him again. “Only if you wanna say.”

Remy took a deep breath. “I don’t want you to think… less of me? Bad of me? More bad, anyway?”

She waited for him to continue, should he choose to.

“I was… homeless before Jean-Luc adopted me,” he finally said.

Rogue’s eyes went wide as she stared up at the stars. She reached over and felt around for his hand. Finding it, she brushed her gloved pinky against his. It was a small gesture, but it emboldened him to continue.

“My earliest memory is being maybe five and digging through a dumpster behind a restaurant to see if there was anything edible.”

Rogue couldn’t think of a single way to respond to that little bomb. At least, nothing that didn’t sound like pity; she was certain that’s what he’d meant when he said he didn’t want her opinion of him to change.

It didn’t stop the picture her mind created of a poor little boy, so hungry that he’d resort to eating the leftover food people threw out. Her heart went out to him.

“How long did you live like that?” She finally asked, hoping to move the conversation in another direction. This wasn’t supposed to be an evening of deep soul-baring discussion.

“Until I was 10, when I attempted to pick Jean-Luc’s pocket and he caught me,” he said, his voice distant. Reliving the experience, she guessed.

The pair sat in silence, watching the night sky over their heads and wondering about the other. Growing up in neighbouring states, so close yet so far away. Everything they’d been through in their lives had led them to this particular moment.

“Guess you were right,” she said, breaking the silence.

“What’s that?”

“We could definitely write a book about it.”

Remy just looked at her for a moment until realization dawned on him, and he let out a bark of laughter. 

“Quite the pair, ain’t we?”

“Yeah, a psychiatrist would have a field day with us.”

Remy laughed again, while Rogue tried to stifle her giggles.

He pulled his feet out of the water and sat up. “We oughta get back before Wolverine comes lookin’ for ya.”

She sighed and followed suit. “Yeah, I suppose.”

“I wouldn’t mind coming back tomorrow to check this place out in the daylight,” he added. “Go for a proper swim.”

“With all the weeds and fishies?”

“And bugs and frogs. Only way to go.” He smiled.

They made their way across the grounds back to the main house, Remy’s better vision in near darkness allowing them to avoid any stumbles.

As they approached the outdoor gardens, Rogue paused. “Hey Remy?”

He stopped and turned to her. “Yeah?”

“Thanks...you know, for sharing with me,” she started. “I know that couldn’t have been easy for you.”

Remy smiled softly. “Thanks for listening.”

“If you ever need to...you know…”

“For sure. Same goes, yeah?”

Rogue nodded. They had reached a new understanding this night, and the doors were open for a friendship that was both give and take.

She smiled at the thought, and followed him inside.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write a scene where these two kinda built on their previous discussion about their personal situations, but I didn’t want to dump it all out at once. Gotta save something for future stories after all...
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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